October and April
by Tinuviel Undomiel
Summary: James hears of two love stories, one from an imprisoned girl the other from the infamous Dark One, having no idea that it is the same story. Set during the finale. Inspired by the song October and April. RumBelle.


Disclaimer: If I owned Once Upon A Time, Rumplestiltskin and Belle would already be married with a lot of fat babies and there would be an entire episode dedicated to his leather pants. The song October and April is also not mine.

Author's Note: I have no idea why I keep using James. He's not my favorite character on the show, that honor belongs to the one with the affinity for leather and a very crazy sounding giggle. However, this ficlet does defer from Through Another's Eyes as this one is more about Rumplestiltskin and Belle. James just serves as the bridge between the two.

This whole thing came together before the finale. I heard Belle would be back, but never imagined that she would reunite with Rumplestiltskin. My theory was that she would share a dungeon with James. I forgot all about my idea until I heard the song October and April by the Rasmus, then inspiration struck. The title and lyrics are all from the song which I highly recommend. I would so love to see a RumBelle video based off of it.

I hope you all like it.

* * *

October and April

_He was like frozen skies_

_In October night_

_Darkest cloud_

_Endless storm _

_Raining from his heart_

_Coldest snow _

_Deepest thrill_

_Tearing down the Spring _

_October and April_

James didn't have a direct plan of escape. He only had the hope that beating the rock against the lock of his cell door would lead to the possibility of a plan. How to get out, where he was and how to find Snow were all meaningless fears until he could free himself from his cage. Now he knew how it felt to be a spring lamb, waiting to be slaughtered. Those helpless creatures had his utter sympathy now.

He grunted in time with the chime of stone against metal. Clank! Grunt. Clank! Grunt. It was producing little results, but still he kept trying.

His knuckles were bleeding, staining the stone, but still he refused to give up. Clank! Grunt. Clank!

Finally he had to stop to catch his breath for a minute as his arm was sore. Just a brief spell then he would resume his plan.

"It's enspelled."

James sat up from his wall and gazed around his empty cell. He had a mirror in there for which the Queen had spoken to him but this was not the throaty, deep tone of a woman bent on revenge.

"You'll never be able to break it," the voice said. It was definitely a woman but her voice was melodic, a ringing of sweet tones with a sad lilt to them.

"Where are you?" he asked to the emptiness.

"Here."

He looked through the bars of his cell door and turned his head to the left. He could see a pale, white hand peeking through a set of identical bars. It was replaced by a face.

The dim light and distance made it difficult for James to see much else besides deep brown hair and vibrant blue eyes, but he judged from her voice that she was young and quite lovely.

"Hello," she said and he caught the flash of white teeth set in a smile.

"Hello," he said, "I'm—."

"Please," she cut in to say, holding up her hand again, "It is best not to share names. Last time I had company here she used our loneliness against us. I probably shouldn't have spoken at all, but the temptation was too great."

"I understand," James said, "You can call me Charming if you like."

"Charming? You think so highly of yourself?"

"No," he said with a laugh, "Someone I care about said it as a joke. And now…now it means more to me than my own name."

He saw her curl her hands around the iron bars and press her face closer, though the effort was ultimately futile. "You have a love?"

"My one true love," James said.

"Then we share a similar pain," she said, "I too have been separated from the man I love."

James forgot about the rock and his plans for escape, at least temporarily. He also tried to press closer to his bars so he could get a better look at his fellow captive. "What is your name in here?"

She didn't have an answer readily available because she thought about it for several moments. "Rose," she said at last, "Call me Rose."

"How long have you been here, Rose?" he asked.

"I kept track for a few months," Rose said sadly, "But eventually I gave up. It's well over a year, maybe even two. I truly don't know how long anymore."

"Why did she imprison you?"

"I don't entirely know. She hardly ever sees me except to throw taunts."

James nodded a little. "She can't hold us forever."

"Yes she can, as long as we have use to her."

Now James saw how grateful he was to have only just been locked in this cell. He still had hope for getting out. He still had plans and dreams of escape. Rose had been in the dark for so long that her hope had dwindled until it was a small, fading little spark. James couldn't let her fade away into complete despair. He needed her hope to keep his alive.

"Then we'll have plenty of time to find our way out of here," he said.

Rose didn't make an immediate reply. He couldn't even see the blue of her eyes anymore so he wondered if she had left him alone once again. James picked up his rock again and was ready to have another go at the lock—despite what she'd said—when he heard, "Why are you here?"

"Why did she capture me?" he asked. He saw brown curls, gleaming with tints of red bob up and down in the torchlight. "She hates the woman I love," he said, "I think she plans to use me to hurt Sn—."

"No names!" Rose cried out, "No one who we care about."

"Right," he said, "though this does make conversation difficult."

"It's better than her knowing these things."

He had no arguments there and she had been in this dungeon far longer than he. "You think she listens in the mirror?"

"I know she does."

James turned to the sheet of reflective glass set against the wall. Perhaps the rock could serve a more immediate purpose. He raised his arm, ready to throw.

"Don't bother," Rose said, "She'll still be able to hear. It has to be covered."

She was only trying to spare him false hope, but still it enraged him. James flung the useless rock against the wall with a great yell. He grabbed another rock and did the same, then another, and another. "I can't stay here for years!" he shouted, "I have to find her. She needs me, I can feel it in my heart! I have to get free!"

After a fifth rock struck one of the metal bars on the cell and bounced back, striking him in the leg, James gave up. He fell to the ground with a groan of defeat. His breath came out in deep pants while his leg throbbed a little from the pain. He hung his head in his hands. Rose had been in this place for years, no doubt wishing the same things. How long until he gave up like she had? What if he never got out? What if he never found Snow? What if the Queen won?"

"Tell me about her."

James lifted his face from his hands to stare through the bars again. "What?"

"Your love. What is she like?"

"Beautiful," he said as Snow White's image filled his mind, pumping his heart with fresh love, "The fairest of them all." It took him a moment to realize he had just partly insulted his kind friend. "No offense."

"None was given," she said, "Is she brave?"

"She'd spit in the eye of a dragon," James said, earning a laugh from Rose. "I met her when she robbed me."

"She's a thief?"

"Yes and no," James said, "She only robbed those she thought were working for the Queen. She took my money and my mother's ring and when I tracked her down she helped me to reclaim the ring."

"And you fell in love," Rose said wistfully.

James nodded. "I never saw it coming, it just snuck up on me."

"That's what it does. You don't know when it happens. Suddenly you're in it."

"We've been trying to be together now," James said, his voice turning melancholy, "But fate keeps driving us away from each other."

"But you're not afraid to fight," Rose said, "Don't give up, Charming. If she is willing to believe in your love and you in hers then you must fight to be together." She paused and then said in a near whisper, "Take it from someone who lost to know the pain."

James hesitated to ask such a painful question. "He didn't love you?"

"No," she said, "I think he did. He had to, I mean the kiss was working."

"Kiss?"

"He's cursed," Rose said, "And the Queen, well I thought she was trying to help me when she suggested that I kiss him to see if that would break his curse."

"And it worked."

"It started to, but then he couldn't believe that I could love him. He thinks he's such a monster, but he isn't. So he cast me away. She brought me here soon after."

Perhaps it wouldn't help her at all, but James knew that talking about Snow, though painful, had restored some hope. He was also just very curious. "What is he like?"

Rose's blue eyes met his from across the dark corridor. "You wouldn't understand. She doesn't. You would think me mad to love such a person."

"Then explain to me how you see him."

She looked away from him, up towards the torch light that flickered up against the wall. He wondered if she could see her love in her mind's eye. Surely she must ache for him as he did for Snow. It was an odd comfort to know that someone shared the same burden as him in this dreary place.

"Where I lived before I met him," Rose said, "October is the bitterest of months. It's cold, full of snow and freezing rain. Storms roll in and they seem completely endless. But at the same time, there are moments, sometimes just a few measly hours in the afternoon, where the sun comes in and it is warm again.

"He's October," she said, "Bitter and cold, sometimes terrifying, but there is still some piece of him that is warm like Spring. It's hard to find, but it's there. I could see it in him."

James blinked himself awake from the beauty of her little speech. He couldn't quite imagine such a man, but the way she spoke of him betrayed no lie. "Sounds like a complicated person," he quipped.

Rose let out a light chuckle. "Oh he is. I suppose that is something that drew me to him. I wanted to unravel his tangles and see what lay beneath. I never thought I would find such pain and beauty."

Her voice trailed off into sadness again. Despite their talk about love and how it came to be, they were still separated from their other halves. Cheer couldn't last long in here.

"You'll find him again," James promised her, "We'll both get out of here and find our loves."

Her blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears, reminding him of the way the sky reflected in a lake. "I hope so," she said, "In any case, hope is all we have in this place."

Rose disappeared into the darkness of her cell, but he could hear her quiet sobs muffled through her hands. He longed to comfort her, but he couldn't find any means to do so. Instead he resumed his banging on the lock.

Clank! Grunt. Clank! Grunt.

After several hours of this same routine, the bloodied rock slipped through his hands and clattered out of his reach. James was too tired to muster up any curses. He sank back onto the ground, not even feeling the pain in his knuckles anymore. His heart hurt far worse.

"I will find you, Snow," he whispered to the dark, "I will always find you."

"Be hard to do that without your head."

It wasn't gentle Rose who said, but a gruff guard cloaked entirely in black. He unlocked the cell door with a key. He and his fellow man forced James to his feet and into a set of chains.

"The Queen is looking forward to your execution."

James knew they intended to lead him to his death, but he didn't care. The pain would soon end.

They led him through the dungeon and James caught a glimpse of Rose curled up in her cell. She rushed to the bars, gazing at him with eyes the color of the ocean and just as deep with sadness. He had been right before. Even though her face was streaked with dirt and tears and her blue dress was grimy, she was beautiful.

"Don't give up," he told her.

Rose shook her head. "Neither should you."

It wasn't until he was out of the dungeons and in a larger, slightly brighter hallway that James realized he was doing just that. He was willing to die without finding Snow. That was completely unacceptable.

He locked his knees so he fell out of the two guard's iron grip and collapsed on the floor. "Get up!" the guard barked and shook him, "On your feet!"

James raised himself up as if he intended to heed them and then punched him in the soft spot in his armor, just beneath the ribs. The fight that ensued was brief. James used his elbows and feet to subdue the first guard that grabbed him. The second guard pulled out his sword, but James dislocated his elbow before using the chain that locked his wrists to choke him. After several ragged breaths, the guard sank into unconsciousness.

He didn't know where he was, he just knew he had to run. He only just turned the corner when he found another black knight. This one had a bow already equipped with an arrow. He pointed the shaft straight at James before he had anytime to think about how to save himself.

He whirled around just as the other guard appeared. "Shoot him!"

The knight loosed the arrow, but it sailed over James's shoulder and found a niche in the armor. The shaft protruded from the guard's chest as he fell over. Dead.

Had he…? Yes, he had just helped him.

James looked back at his possible ally, still fully encased in the Queen's armor. "Who the hell are you?"

The knight plucked the helmet from his head. He was young with wavy brown hair and a beard. He brown eyes didn't show any evil or wicked ways. It wasn't the type of person James had thought to find in the Queen's army.

"A friend," the knight said.

"I don't know you," James said, but despite that he felt the urge to trust him.

"But I know Snow White," the knight said as he pulled out a set of keys.

Snow! Of course, she found friends in many unlikely places. How else could she have planned his rescue from King George? A rescue that would have worked had not the Queen already acquired him.

"Is she okay?" James asked.

The knight took a key and began to unlock his chains. "The Queen was traveling to meet her. Her fate is in a precarious place. You must hurry."

The knight let the chains drop free. "Follow me," he said. James walked along side of him, checking the corridor for more guards. "I can get you out and try to stall the Queen. The rest is up to you."

The knight picked up a bundle from the concealing darkness. "Your weapon and some provisions." James eagerly took his sword and the leather bag with food. This was more than he could have ever expected from his measly plans of escape back in the dungeon.

"Good luck," the knight said.

"You're not coming with me?"

"I cannot," he said, "I gave up my heart so that the Queen would spare Snow's." James wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but it did send a shudder through his veins. "Don't let my sacrifice be in vain. Find her."

James gave him a curt nod and turned towards the door where freedom waited for him. A thought stopped him cold.

"Rose," he said.

"Who?" the knight asked.

"The girl back in the dungeon," James explained, "I have to get her out too."

The knight took a hold of his arm and shook his head. "There is no time."

"I can't just leave her here."

"You don't have a choice. The Queen will kill you if you stay."

"And what about her?"

"No," the knight said, "She still has use for her, she needs her to hold power over him."

Him. The man Rose loved.

"She'll be all right," the knight said, "When the person she loves discovers what the Queen has done…his wrath will not be something anyone would want to face."

James burned to know more, to discover the name of who he spoke of. If he could find this person then perhaps this would spell the end of the Queen.

"Now go," the knight urged, shoving him back towards the door.

James hated himself for leaving Rose in the darkness, but he vowed to himself as he opened that door that he would find her love. She wouldn't linger in that place forever.

_She was like April skies _

_Sunrise in her eyes _

_Child of light _

_Shining star_

_Fire in her heart_

_Brightest day_

_Melting snow_

_Breaking through the chill_

_October and April _

James wanted to take a deep breath of the free air, but the darkness from the Queen's evil had polluted the place too much. The land outside the Dark Palace was barren. The lake he ran beside was dank and ringed with scraggly bushes and dry, dead trees. Still, he wouldn't be here for much longer. Once he reached the town he would be on his way to finding Snow.

One second he was by the dead lake, the next he was falling down into a bed of dead leaves and dirt. He rolled three times and then wound up on his knees. He was in a thriving forest, filled with green and lush growth. The trees were taller than he had ever seen. There were no markings or landmarks that told him what forest he was in. However, if it was the Queen who had sent him here then it surely wasn't good.

There was no time to waste wondering over this puzzle. James took off and ran some more. It felt like he was moving for hours when he turned around another log and found…exactly where he had started. He could even see his boot prints from before.

James ran into the little clearing, gazing around in search for an answer. Was this place drawing him around in circles or was it his own unpredictable luck? He didn't get a chance to address the question himself.

"Lost, are we?"

James whirled around at the high pitched voice, almost loosing his sword from it's scabbard. Oh no, not him. He would much prefer the Queen to this detestable creature.

Rumplestiltskin sat on a log as if he was there simply to enjoy the scenery. He wasn't. He didn't seem to take pleasure in anything but people's misery. "What are you doing here?" James demanded.

"I'm just here to help." Perhaps the words were meant to ring with innocence, but that was impossible with a voice like his. It didn't matter. Those words coming from Rumplestiltskin always spelled out trouble.

"Well no need," James hissed at him, "I'll be fine."

"No I don't think so," Rumplestiltskin said as James turned away. "This," he gestured to the trees surrounding them, "Is the Infinite Forest. There's no way out." The imp let out a grin, "Well, except _my_ way."

Magic. The magic that always came with a price, one James had no interest in paying.

"I want nothing from you," James said. He'd already dealt with Rumplestiltskin's magic more than enough. Nothing good could ever come from it.

"Not even this," he said gleefully and held up a ring. It was silver with a bright green jewel and all too familiar.

"My mother's ring," James gasped and reached for the pouch he'd kept it in. "It was just…" Empty. "How did you get it!" he barked.

"The same way I get everything I want." Rumplestiltskin slid from the log, still pinching the ring between his black nails. "Magic. The same magic that allows me to do this."

James watched in horror as Rumplestiltskin tossed the ring into the air. It was only for a brief moment, but the ring fell back into the imp's palm. But it had changed, now shining and winking with something else…magic.

"This ring is now enchanted," he said, "the closer you get to Snow White, the brighter it will glow."

James's blue eyes were large and filled with wonder. This tool was exactly what he needed. He didn't know where Snow was, couldn't even begin to guess, but this ring was bound to bring him to her.

Rumplestiltskin curled his fist around the ring. "Interested?"

"Give it to me." James reached for it but Rumplestiltskin drew his arm back.

"Ah!" he teased, "It's not something for nothing, dearie." He grinned his row of sharp, brown teeth and said his favorite words. "Time to make a deal."

Perhaps it was his lingering bitterness of Rumplestiltskin stealing his unknown twin brother from him and then later plopping him down into the real James's role when he had died. It could have had nothing to do with him at all and stemmed from his recent ordeal with King George and the Queen. His fear for Snow and worry for what might have happened to her certainly played a part. But also his guilt for having no choice but to abandon Rose in the dungeon while he at least had made it onto the path of reuniting with his true love must have had something to do with what he did next.

"No!" he shouted, drawing his sword out, "No more deals!"

He slashed the sword at him but Rumplestiltskin dodged away from the blow. He thrust the weapon in hopes of impaling him. The imp held up his hand, trapping the blade between his thumb and forefinger. He then let out that annoying giggle.

It was the laugh that spurned James into more rage. He let out a vicious yell and hurled the sword at the monster.

It hit nothing but air.

James stared at the spot where Rumplestiltskin had once stood, puzzled for only just a moment. "Over here!" the imp cried.

He whirled around to see that Rumplestiltskin now stood behind him holding aloft his own sword. So finally it would be a test of steel between the two. James had long been looking forward to this.

Their swords met in the familiar song of metal biting into metal. They parried again once more before James swung his sword back at him. This time the blade hit wood. He supposed he should never have expected a wicked creature like Rumplestiltskin to fight fair.

Rumplestiltskin prodded James's backside with the sword. "Persistent."

It was a meager help, but James removed his bag of provisions and let it fall to the ground. He charged back at the imp, parrying more blows before he chose to grab his free arm. For a moment they pushed against one another, equal opposing forces each gaining no ground. Despite being so much older than him, Rumplestiltskin was surprisingly strong. Then he whirled around, elbowing James in the ribs.

James grunted at the pain and slashed his sword again. It seemed to strike some invisible force and the recoil made him fly backwards. He landed on his back just a few feet from his adversary.

Since Rumplestiltskin wouldn't abide by the rules of combat, James was disinclined to as well. He had magic as his second weapon, likely something he couldn't beat, but the support of a second, small sword should help the even the playing field. If only just a little.

Rumplestiltskin showed no concern at the appearance of the second weapon. Indeed, the whole affair seemed to amuse him immensely. They squared each other off for a second and then met again. James turned around and tried to find a weak spot in Rumplestiltskin's defense with his short sword. The imp simple grabbed his arm and gave it a hard squeeze. Any harder and James was sure he would have heard the crack of bone.

James dropped his second sword and resumed the fight with only his main once. The block and parried before Rumplestiltskin grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him up so they stared at each other through their locked blades. "Had enough?"

"Never!" James hissed and butted his head against him. It actually worked to send Rumplestiltskin staggering backwards. He used this chance to swing his sword again, the top successfully cutting into the flesh of his cheek.

Blood slowly leaked from the shallow wound. It actually surprised James enough to where he simply stopped and watched. He hadn't expected him to bleed like a man.

Rumplestiltskin smiled and let out a titter as if the wound merely tickled. He waved his hand—now glowing with purple magic—and the wound vanished from his face. This sparked back more of James's anger and he hurled his sword at him again. It was crucial mistake.

Rumplestiltskin slammed the butt of his hilt into the base of James's skull. He didn't put enough power into the blow to knock him unconscious, but it incapacitated him enough so he could grab a hold of the back of his vest. He flung James up hard and fast. He flew through the air, hitting a large tree which knocked the wind out of him, and then he tumbled back to earth. His sword clattered out of his reach.

James rolled in the dirt for a bit before he found enough purchase to stop. His eyes searched for his sword, but it wasn't anywhere near where he had fallen. His very own blade was then thrust under his chin by the Dark One himself. "Looking for this?"

Perhaps fighting him hadn't been his best idea, James could see that now. He didn't know what Rumplestiltskin did when he was angry. He would soon find out.

"So brave," he crooned, "So gallant." He bent over the sword so they were slightly closer. "So pointless. Bravery won't get you out of this forest, dearie. Magic will."

He smiled with a bit of patience, so he did have some in there. "Trust me, this is a deal you'll want to make." He knelt down so they were even closer. "Because we both want the same thing."

"What's that?" James asked.

"Why you and your true love to be together, of course," Rumplestiltskin said. He unfurled his free hand to show James's mother's ring encircled at the end of his finger.

They could keep this fight up for much longer, James wasn't the type to give up. Rumplestiltskin knew that, but his patience clearly had limits. He had put him in this position now so James had to recognize that he had no choice. He had to accept this deal.

"What do you want?"

Rumplestiltskin let out his giggle again. He dropped the sword at James's side and tucked the ring back into his pocket. He offered him one, dark nailed hand up but James refused it. He climbed to his feet on his own steam.

"I need you to help me with something," Rumplestiltskin said, "Something with which you are quite familiar with."

"And what's that?"

The imp's red-gold eyes sparkled with mischief. "True Love."

James narrowed his eyes at him in disbelief. "The price for the ring is Snow White?"

He let out a scoffing sound at that. "Now what would I do with her? She's of little use to me. No, no, dearie, that beauty is all yours. I need your help with the power of True Love."

"Speak sense!" James barked. Patience was not on his list of priorities at the moment.

Rumplestiltskin produced from his pocket a glass vial filled with some sort of half-liquid half-mist that glowed a brilliant violet hue. "Behold," he said, "the most powerful magic of all…True Love."

James stared at the oddly beautiful bit of magic and felt himself reaching for it without any reason why. "Ah!" Rumplestiltskin cried, pulling the vial away. "Careful. This is all I have left of it."

Seeing those dark fingers curled around the bottle stung James with contempt. Why should he cherish such a thing? James had felt the magic of True Love, had seen it's power work to free Snow from evil. Rose needed such magic to be free from the Queen and to save her love from his curse. This creature had no right possessing a magic he would never experience for himself.

"What do you know of True Love?" James muttered with a bitter ring to his words.

A change overcame Rumplestiltskin at those words. The fight hadn't angered him, he'd enjoyed the sport by the looks of things. But what James's said stung him a bit. He curled his fist around the bottle and glared at him. "Well not so much as you perhaps, but not so little as you might think."

It was frank, those words. James couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. Rumplestiltskin? In love? It couldn't possibly be true. "_You_? You loved someone?"

The anger was still there, but something else filled the imp's inhuman eyes. Pain. "It was a brief, flicker of light amidst an ocean of darkness."

Rumplestiltskin didn't look at James anymore. He was staring away into something else, the past perhaps. His anger was gone, replaced entirely by grief.

Now James felt just a spark of belief. "What happened?" he asked, but he predicted the answer.

"She died," he gritted out the words like they were made of needles. It was brief, less than a second, but James thought he saw a pain he had never seen before in Rumplestilskin. It was the agony of knowing his one, true love was lost to him forever. Then it was gone, tucked back away and covered by his usual mask. "That's the thing about True Love, dearie, it can slip through your fingers." He waggled his own fingers for effect.

"It's the most powerful magic in the world," he continued, "The only magic powerful enough to break any curse. It _must_ be protected, at all costs."

"I don't understand," James said, stepping closer to him, "What exactly is it you want me to do?"

Rumplestiltskin rolled his eyes. "I want you to help me _protect_ it," he said like the answer had been obvious from the start, "By putting it in a safe place for me."

He held out his hand and beautiful, golden egg appeared from the air. He opened the egg and slipped the vial inside.

"And where's that?" James asked. His cynicism towards the imp was returning now that the answers were becoming far less clear.

He closed the egg and tossed it at him. "Inside the belly of a beast, of course."

James caught the egg. He stared at it for a bit, marveling at how innocent it looked while it harbored undoubtedly the greatest treasure in the entire world. And this creature only wanted to protect such magic? It didn't sit well with him.

"Why hide it?"

Rumplestiltskin grinned. "Let's just say I'm saving it for a rainy day." He let out yet another giggle. "I think it's fair enough. You put that where I want it to go and then I give you back the ring."

James shook his head a little. "It's not enough."

"No?" Rumplestiltskin said in surprise, "I'm offering you the ability to find your true love, and you want more?"

"I don't trust you."

He grinned back at him. "Smart little prince. But when did trust matter in these deals?"

"I need more from you before I can do this," James said.

Rumplestiltskin let out another shrill giggle. "Greedy, aren't you? Name your price, dearie."

"Information."

"On what?"

James eyed him up and down, staring at him for the first time not with disgust but with interest. "Who was she?"

"Who, dearie?"

"The woman you loved."

Rumplestiltskin's cheerful grin died away slowly. The amusing spark left his eyes, replaced by bitterness. "Why do you want to know?"

Curiosity for one thing, but James knew that wouldn't compel him to speak. "_You_ want me to hide away the most powerful magic in the world. I need to know your experience with True Love before I can believe you."

Rumplestiltskin let out some sort of growl in his throat. "Very well," he said, his voice tight with false cheer, "She was a withered old hag, steeped in magic. We went on many merry adventures together, cheating and swindling everyone we could."

There had been no effort to make the lie convincing. James could see that he had no intention of talking about her, perhaps she wasn't even real. Yes, this could all have been a lie to persuade him to do as he asked. James had found True Love. Rumplestiltskin must have been playing off of his sympathies.

"You won't speak of her because she isn't real," James said, "You never loved anyone."

Rumplestiltskin lashed out, grabbing the collar of his tunic and pulling up to where their noses were almost touching. It was far closer than he had ever cared to be with the Dark One. "I have done many things," he hissed, "I have lied, cheated, stolen, even murdered to get what I want. But never, _never_ accuse me of not loving her!"

James gripped his wrist and tried to pry himself free. He guessed that he only got what he wanted by Rumplestiltskin's wishes. "Then why lie about her?"

He let out something garbled and impossible to understand, giving his back to James. "This is the price for my cooperation," James reminded him.

"Perhaps you ask too much, Charming. I can find someone else far more willing."

James shook his head. "No, you need it to be me. I don't know why, but you do. Or else you would have done this yourself."

It was just a guess, but Rumplestiltskin had never seemed the type to seek help when it wasn't warranted. James knew that if he did need it to be him to do this task that there had to be some broader plan in play. But that didn't matter right now. He needed to find Snow, but he needed proof that Rumplestiltskin understood the power of True Love.

The Dark One kept his back to him, but he saw his shoulders slope downwards. "April," he whispered.

James frowned a little. "Her name?"

"No, you little twit," he hissed back at him, his red eyes glaring hot and brilliant with anger. They softened as memory overcame him. "Her eyes…they were the color of a Spring day in April. Cloudless. Endless."

He shut his own eyes and said in a breath, "Beautiful."

James watched as the Dark One began to tremble. He swallowed something back, his fists clenched at his sides. "She was kind, good, better than anyone I ever knew. Better even than you. Her smile could melt the coldest snow, her laugh brighten the sun. Yet she was full of fire, with enough courage to beat a thousand fine knights."

Rumplestiltskin hung his head, one hand reaching up to press against his mouth. "I had no right to love her. She didn't belong with me. She was Spring itself, she had no place in my dark world."

The words were too filled with pain, to deep with meaning to possibly be a lie. Rumplestiltskin had indeed been in love once, with someone who was his opposite in every way. For the first and likely the last time, James felt sympathy for the beast. He had loved and he had lost, utterly and completely.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Why?" Rumplestiltskin asked, "She left this world while you were still herding sheep. Her life and death had no bearing on you at all."

"It is always a loss when such a person is gone forever."

The Dark One trained on him an eye heavy with suspicion. Then he bobbed his head gently in agreement. "There, has the price been paid?"

"Yes," James said, "Now how do we get out of this place?"

That giggle of delight fell from his lips again. "Magic, of course." And with a wave of his hand they were gone from the Infinite Forest.

_Like hate and love _

_Worlds apart_

_This fatal love was like poison_

_Right from the start_

_Like light and dark_

_Worlds apart_

_This fatal love was like poison _

_Right from the start_

Rumplestiltskin stood on the shore of the lake. Maleficent's little castle grew out of a tiny island like a wart on a finger, at least that's how he saw her. Her usefulness to him only mattered if she kept the egg safe in her fiery belly. When the little prince came out of the water, beaten down and wet, Rumplestiltskin felt a tiny spark inside his dead heart. He was another step closer to finding his son.

"Impressive, dearie," Rumplestiltskin complimented the shepherd-turned-prince. They did say that one catches more flies with honey than vinegar and he'd been sour enough around Charming for the day. "Very impressive indeed."

He gestured to the fire he had lit just for him. Darkness was cold so Rumplestiltskin never felt it himself. "Come warm yourself."

James showed no interest in the fire. "I have done what you have asked. Return my ring to me."

His demands didn't bother Rumplestiltskin. His plan was falling into place perfectly, very little could disturb him now. "Of course you're in a bit of a rush. How rude of me."

He held up the little ring, hardly worth anything before but now the enchantment made it priceless, especially to James. It was a tool to find his true love.

And then it happened.

He was pulled away from his joy at the task he'd begun a lifetime ago being almost complete. Staring at the bit of silver and the bright green jewel, he knew then that James was on the road to his happiness. True Love still existed for him, while Rumplestiltskin's was buried somewhere in the earth. No magic rings, no spell or curse could ever bring her back to him.

For a flicker of time he considered spoiling James's plans, demanding something else from him just to keep him from his joy longer. It couldn't be born though. It wasn't the little princeling's fault that Belle was gone. Besides, he needed him to find Snow White.

"With this, Prince Charming," he said, handing him the ring, "You will find her." He still felt the bitter sting of jealousy as he placed the ring into James's hand.

James stared at his mother's ring, watching as it shimmered with power. His heart waited for him across the lands while half of Rumplestiltskin's was in another world and the other was forever in the afterlife. It wasn't fair, but neither was life and he had learned that lesson a very long time ago.

"Thank you," James said. He doubted the prince was actually grateful, mostly just anxious to leave. He'd already provided him with a horse and more provisions for his journey. But looking at him as he walked past, Rumplestiltskin realized that James looked nothing like the conquering hero he should for a tale like this. He loved theatrics and it would serve as a distraction from the memories creeping up on him.

"Something's missing," he said. Then with a wave of both his hands, mists of dark purple magic wove their way around James, obscuring him completely for a moment. When they dissipated he was wearing a vibrant red tunic with a burgundy cloak. He looked every inch a charming prince.

"Now you're ready for your big moment!" Rumplestiltskin crooned in delight.

James was having none of it. The boy was just too clever for his own good. "Why do you want us together? What do you get out of it?"

Lying was always distasteful to Rumplestiltskin, his last one being one he could never take back and now blue eyes brimming with tears forever haunted his dreams. So he opted for a selected part of the truth. "I'm a fan of True Love, dearie," he said, "And more importantly, what it creates."

James shook his head at the riddle, but clearly had no desire to decipher the answer. Yes, he was smart when he wanted to be. "This will be our final deal," James vowed.

"Don't be so certain, Charming," Rumplestiltskin said, "You may find you'll have need of me again."

The prince ignored his words and climbed onto the horse. He didn't bid him goodbye.

Rumplestiltskin watched him ride away. Soon he would find Snow White. Soon he would wake her from her curse. Soon they would find happiness if only for a little while. Soon he would be in the arms of True Love.

He hated him for that.

Now that it was done and he was alone, Rumplestiltskin let the bitterness of jealousy, his rage at the world and the cruel choices of a wicked father as well as his own guilt consume him. He let out a snarl and hurled a full volley of magic at the fire. It froze instantly, trapping the flame into twisted crystals of ice.

Coldness. Darkness. Despair. That was him. It was the world he'd lived in, an endless winter with no hope of thaw.

His rage would have carried him on, perhaps destroying what ever lay in his path for the rest of the day, but then the clouds cracked in the sky. Sunlight poured forth, bathing him with warmth and giving him a glimpse of the most beautiful shade of blue.

She had let the sunlight into the castle. She had ripped away the curtains, tumbling from her perch and into his waiting arms where she had fit perfectly. She had brought him the Spring.

Staring up into the endless blue, he let himself indulge her memory. The pain would come later, but for now he was in the midst of an endless April sky.

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO_

Sunlight couldn't reach the bowels of the Dark Palace. Belle could only dream of warm Spring days, blue skies and the simple beauty of the wind rustling through the trees. Sometimes that vision was so close she could almost recall it all perfectly, but with the Queen standing before her now it seemed that all of that had been nothing but a fantasy.

"Where did he go!" The Queen demanded.

"I-I don't know," Belle stammered out.

"You spoke to him, I know you did you mindless little ingrate. Now tell me how he escaped!"

I don't know," Belle insisted.

The Queen, who had once wrapped one arm around her shoulders as if they were old friends, used her magic to wrap Belle up into her power and lift her in the air. She could feel some invisible twine choking off her ability to breath. Belle grabbed at her throat, but she could find nothing to free herself.

"Don't lie to me," she said slowly, "Tell me what you know and I will release you."

"I-I…don't even know…his name," Belle choked out.

The Queen let her hand there for several moments, nearing the point of blacking out, before she let out huff of breath and released her. Belle fell to the stones, gulping in air and coughing on it all at the same time. She would have bruises on her knees and shins later. She'd endured worse.

"Don't take much hope from his escape," the Queen warned her, "I will find him again and he will die."

Belle took in a few breaths, but her voice was still hoarse. "Then why are you questioning me if you're so certain?"

The Queen's eyes sparked at her words. "Well, the imp's little kitten has shown some claws." She sounded almost amused, even bending down to smile at the girl. "And what makes you think I won't succeed?"

"Because you don't understand the magic on his side."

"He has no magic."

"Yes he does," Belle said, "He has True Love. You won't be able to capture him and you won't be able to stop him from finding her. Just like you won't keep me away from Rumplestiltskin forever. True Love is more powerful than anything else in this world. You can never understand how it works."

Do the brave thing and bravery will follow, that had always been her motto. It was the longest, most daring speech she'd ever given to her adversary. And she did feel brave. But bravery wasn't the only thing that followed.

The Queen glared at her with fiery brown eyes, almost black. She then raised her hand and struck Belle across her face. Her cheek throbbed with fresh pain. She fingered the area and found blood from several scratches dealt by the witch's red nails.

The Queen lunged for her throat, not cutting off her air again, but digging her talon-like nails into then tender flesh beneath her chin as she forced Belle to look at her. "You think I don't know True Love? I had it once, I had everything I could ever want and it was ripped from me! do you have any idea how that felt? Do you, you fragile little rodent!"

Her dark eyes narrowed. "But love is also power. That's why you're still alive. As long as I have you, I have power over him. One day I'll let you see him again, your twisted true love."

Belle blinked back in surprise. She tried to dampen the spark of hope, but the Queen could see it reflecting in her eyes. She let out a little laugh. "Perhaps I'll rip out your heart and squeeze it into dust before his eyes. Do you think True Love will save you then? Because I learned that Death is the real power. Nothing can defeat it, not even love."

The Queen shoved Belle back and stepped away. Her beautiful face, perfectly plucked and arranged, smiled back at her with the coldest form of pleasure she had ever seen. "Get used to your cell, Belle dear, because Rumplestiltskin will never find you. Not until I want him to."

She vanished in a puff of black-green smoke. Belle rubbed at her throat and then at her bleeding cheek. No serious injuries, save for her still broken heart. Nothing had changed. She was still trapped, still a pawn in the Queen's games. But she felt more alone than ever now that Charming had found freedom. She was glad he was gone and wished him the best. If she couldn't be with her true love, then she was grateful that he was.

Still, the pain was ever present. Sometimes she longed to die just so it would end. What kept her going was the hope of hearing Rumplestiltskin say those three words he never spoke to her: I love you.

Belle whispered them aloud, hoping the cold wind would somehow carry them out across the land and to his ears. The chill in the air forced her to huddle with her knees pressed to her chest. The icy breeze made her shiver, but Belle took some comfort in it's frozen kiss.

It reminded her of October.

_We were like loaded guns _

_Sacrificed our lives_

_We were like love undone _

_Craving to entwine_

_Fatal touch_

_Final thrill_

_Love was bound to kill_

_October and April_

* * *

__A/N: Please tell me what you all think. And check out my other story, Through Another's Eyes if you enjoyed the stuff with Rumplestiltskin and James. I know I went crazy over their sword fight in the finale. Please review!


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